It's also the last game before Christmas with the prospect of old faces, including Sammy Hutton, returning from distant climes.

One slightly less old face who will be returning to the West squad is Jonny Boatman. The former skipper has recovered from his toe operation and will be on the bench.

That's welcome news for the second half of the season where injuries, weddings and work commitments will again take their toll. In the first 13 games we have used 31 players with the likes of Greg Edwards, Craig Gilmour and Ross Wood coming through from the Stags to make a big impression.

Gilly will pack down alongside Chunky Taylor, who has been on tremendous form all season, and Danny Boatman who is adding the subtleties [or otherwise] of captaincy to his athletic armoury.

Anth Carr is able to escape his work committments in darkest Yorkshire and will take his place alongside fellow prop Adam Coates.  Let's hope Coatesy doesn't read this, but if the award for most improved player was being given out at this stage of the season he would be in with a strong shout.  Always good in the loose -at least when he hangs onto the ball - his scrummaging has come on tremendously.

Our young front row will have to be on their mettle against a Burnage pack which impressed  in the set pieces when we managed a win on their plastic pitch at the beginning of the season. They are also powerful in the centres, and we will have to maintain the workrate which put Mowden on the back foot if we are to get  that first double of the season.

West: Waites, A Cheslin, Edwards, Watson, Butcher, G Foreman, A Foreman, Carr, Bailey, Coates, T Dixon, Davies, Taylor, D Boatman, Gilmour. Reps: J Boatman, C Cheslin, Wood.

Burnage:  15. Chris Korneki, 14. Chris Mort, 13. Stuart Oldham (capt), 12. Adam Knight, 11. Rob Wellock, 10. Sam Jennings, 9. Chris Townsend, 1. Jim Williams, 2. Martin Vernon, 3. Chris Keane, 4. Alex Bowen, 5. Phil Edge, 6. Tony Lynn, 7. Gary Moore, 8. Oli Hewitt. Reps: 16. Kristian Stock, 17. Jamie Redmond, 18. Tom Blaney